Saturday miscellany

A hot and sunny day in Cambridge, UK, a good one to go into town and do some wandering among the monuments and the tourists.  It’s a graduation day, flags flying above all the Colleges and robed scholars laughing in the courtyards.  Wisteria are in bloom, and punts are jostling for space along the Cam) or rafted under the willows while the girls sip Pimms and the boys try hard to impress).

   

The Kettle’s Yard galleries are featuring an “Artists for the Yard” exhibition with a  Hirst and a Gormley among the items donated.  Unfortunately, the latter sculpture is on limited viewing, while the former (a multi-hued skeleton) only reconfirms my opinion that Damien is overrated.  Still, there are lots of intriguing small works:  an impasto painting of the Ely Cathedral and Fens by Tory Lawrence, a wet-on-wet watercolor by David Austen, and a small golden sculpture of found objects by Claire Barclay.

I tried to take a few pictures, but the relentless use of reflective glass and wanderings of other patrons resulted in some strange juxtapositions.

   

Back outside, the nice day brings out both street performers and protesters.